Americans to be freed in Haiti kidnapping case

Laura Silsby and Charisa Coulter are the last of 10 members of a Baptist missionary group still in Haitian custody.

Two Americans charged with kidnapping children following Haiti's devastating earthquake will be released this week, one of their lawyers, Aviol Fleurant, said.

Laura Silsby and Charisa Coulter were the last of 10 members of a Baptist missionary group still in Haitian custody over an attempt to take 33 children to the neighbouring Dominican Republic without government permission.

"The decision is expected very soon. The judge in charge of the dossier has communicated his investigation report," Mr Fleurant said.

"He has all the information he wants concerning the two American missionaries."

Mr Fleurant said Silsby and Coulter were questioned at the Port-au-Prince prosecutors' office in the presence of a US consular official and a representative from a Haitian human rights organisation.

Haiti is still struggling to care for 1 million people left homeless by the January 12 quake that has so far killed around 222,000 people.